Since Jeb Bush withdrew from the Republican presidential race on Saturday, Washington establishment leaders have been shifting their support to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

As Western Journalism has reported, many influential representatives and senators have pledged their support for Rubio and his campaign. However, many of those same supporters may be scratching their heads with confusion now that Rubio will not be present at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

Rubio’s campaign has confirmed he will not attend the event hosted by the American Conservative Union (ACU). The ACU issued a statement saying in part, “Although, Marco Rubio has built a conservative record and has a high ACU rating, he and his campaign have made a rookie mistake. Today the Rubio campaign informed ACU’s chairman that their candidate is unwilling to make time to meet with activists and answer their questions at CPAC 2016.”

Going one step further, the ACU suggests Rubio must make an important decision: “Rubio cannot have it both ways: he cannot hope to be the inspirational leader of conservatives and at the same time hide at the very moments when activists who comprise the heart and soul of the movement assemble and organize.”

Rubio, in choosing not to attend CPAC, will be able to avoid questions about his involvement in crafting an immigration bill with seven other senators that some argue would have created a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.

While Rubio has decided not to attend CPAC, other candidates will be present at the conference, which dates back 43 years. Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Dr. Ben Carson have all confirmed their plans to attend CPAC this year.

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Ronald Reagan even attended CPAC 13 times and, according to the ACU, used CPAC to launch his political career.